The game referred to generally as “Bingo” is played with predetermined bingo cards that include a number of designations randomly arranged in a grid or other layout of spots or locations. The bingo cards may be physically printed on paper or another suitable material, or may be represented by a data structure which defines the various card locations and designations associated with the locations. In the traditional bingo game sequence, a number of the predetermined bingo cards are put in play for a particular game. After the sale of bingo cards is closed for a given game, designations are randomly selected from a pool of available designations and matched to the designations on each bingo card that has been placed in play. This matching of randomly selected bingo designations with bingo designations associated with a card in play in the game is commonly referred to as daubing the card and results in a pattern or arrangement of matched spots or card locations. Daubing was done manually by the player holding the bingo card in traditional bingo games. More recent bingo gaming systems automatically check for winning patterns on a bingo card as designations are randomly selected for a game. Regardless of how the bingo cards in play in a game are daubed, the first card daubed in some predefined way is considered a winning card for the game. The predefined way in which a card must be matched or daubed to produce a win in the game is commonly defined in terms of some identifiable pattern of matched or daubed locations on the card.
Although traditional bingo games remain popular, traditional paper bingo games are played relatively slowly. The card purchasing or buy-in period, the sequential ball draw and announcement of each individual designation, and then winner verification all consume a good deal of time. The time required to play a traditional bingo game limits the player excitement with the game and thus limits player satisfaction.
Various systems have been developed to aid players in playing bingo games and to enhance player participation in the games. The MegaMania® gaming system offered by Multimedia Games, Inc. comprises a bingo gaming system in which players at different gaming facilities over a large geographic area may participate in bingo games. The players participate in bingo games in the MegaMania® system through electronic player stations that are maintained at various gaming facilities across the United States. Electronic bingo gaming systems and electronic player stations may increase the speed at which certain operations in a bingo game may be performed. However, electronically implemented bingo games have eliminated the use of physical bingo cards in the interest of increasing the speed of play. The elimination of the physical bingo card may represent an unwelcome change to some players who are used to participating in bingo games with a physical bingo card. The elimination of the physical bingo card may also prevent these newer electronic systems from being employed under certain regulatory schemes relating to bingo gaming systems.